Green Technology

The Top U.S. Cities for Sustainability

2013-05-15T23:52:27Z

Written by Paul Flanagan

Over the past decade, more than 50 major U.S cities have taken significant steps to becoming more sustainable,OurGreenCities.com reports. There's been a focused effort to maintain and grow healthy local economies through smart growth and climate protection, and city leaders are increasingly doing business in a manner that promotes, guides and manages growth. They're improving energy efficiency, helping the environment and raising the quality of life for residents.

These cities are making strong, admirable strides toward sustainability:

Portland, Oregon

Half of Portland’s energy comes from renewable resources, enabling it to replace dirty energy resources with clean energy. Portland created the Clean Energy Works initiative, a program designed to give homeowners free energy assessments and provide $2,000 rebates and loans for home retrofitting.

A curbside composting program was launched in 2011 that resulted in a 38 percent dropin the city’s trash output, city officials reported. Portland is also considered the most bikeable city in the United States, with 200 miles of dedicated bike lanes. This, of course, minimizes dependency on gas-powered vehicles and helps reduce the output of toxins and pollutants.

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Cambridge implemented a major climate protection plan in 2002, and currently a majority of city vehicles are powered by B20 biodiesel or electricity. Named the “best walking city” by Prevention Magazine in 2008, all new construction and major renovation must meet LEED standards. Cambridge also created a project called “Compost That Stuff,’ in which organic waste from residents, hotels and restaurants is collected for compost. Forward-thinking Cambridge also provides its residents with free Wi-Fi via the Cambridge Public Internet project, enabling users of mobile devices like the 16GB Nexus 4 phone to surf the Web quickly and conveniently.

San Francisco, California

San Francisco created mandatory recycling and composting ordinances that required citizens to not only separate recyclables, but also to separate their packing items and compostable food. City officials announced in October 2012 that 80 percent of its city waste was going to recycling and composting facilities, making it the leader in sustainable waste disposal. San Francisco was the nation's first city to ban plastic grocery bags, and in 2010 Mayor Gavin Newsom declared the city America’s leader in solar energy use.

Eugene, Oregon

Eugene receives 88 percent of its energy from renewable sources, and the city's Sustainability Commission oversees green infrastructure and development. The city's Wayne L. Morse Courthouse made it onto the American Institute of Architects' list of the top 10 green buildings in the U.S., and the city's public transit system was nominated for an International Sustainability award for being one of the first diesel-electric hybrid systems to operate in the nation. Cycling is the preferred mode of transportation in Eugene, made possible by 150 miles of smog-free travel throughout the main metro area.

Oakland, California

Oakland receives 17 percent of its energy from renewable resources, and there's a plan in place to have zero waste and become oil-independent by the year 2020. The city boasts a hydrogen-powered public transit system, the cleanest tap water in the country and a plethora of farmers markets that offer locally sourced, organic food. It's also home to the nation's oldest wildlife refuge.

Seattle, Washington

Seattle was the first city in America to have a major utility company go carbon neutral. City Light uses hydroelectric dams, which reduce dependency on dirty energy resources. Seattle pledged not to invest its money into fossil fuel companies, a positive green action effort. Twenty percent of Seattle's buildings are LEED-certified or under construction for LEED certification, and residents are encouraged through an incentive program to install solar panels on their homes.

Boston, Massachusetts

Boston's “Green By 2015” initiative includes replacing taxicabs with hybrid vehicles and recycling trash to power homes. The city has pledged to increase its use of solar panels and support use of electric motor bikes. Boston holds regular conferences to educate citizens on living the most sustainable life possible.

Top Online Productivity Tools

2013-05-13T17:34:23Z

Regardless of industry, today's business world requires the utilization of digital tools that allow companies to get more done in less time, while reaching more people. Whether it's recruitment, team building, brand building or taking your product to the next level, online productivity tools are key.

Fortunately, there are an increasing number of online resources available to help businesses operate more efficiently. Here are a few of Energy Digital's favorites:

Yast—one of the best time-tracking tools out there. The easy-to-navigate interface makes tracking business activities and even unimportant tasks simple, helping people become more efficient both inside and outside the office.
Bitrix24: The program marries a social intranet system with CRM tools to help manage sales, messaging, activity planning, calendars, etc. It's also free for teams of fewer than 12 people.
Businessfriend: a social media platform designed by business professionals for business professionals. If used as intended, Businessfriend can significantly increase productivity within almost any organization. Most social networks require daily tracking and significant effort to maintain, whereas Businessfriend can be used for most, if not all, of the user's daily communications within his/her company and outside networking—all while allowing the same “social” functions as other outlets and the ability to interconnect posts to them.
Trello: With elements like Pinterest and Basecamp HQ, Trello helps users simplify project management—a free tool for teams of any size.
Sanebox: Defined by its name, “Sanebox” helps users de-clutter their inbox, automatically filtering out newsletters and other low priority emails into a “Read Later” folder. At around $5 a month, many argue that the time saved from not having to sift through hundreds of unimportant emails a month is well worth the fee.
WriteMonkey: Here's one I can relate to... If you're working on a writing project, WriteMonkey is an extremely useful tool to block out the distractions of standard computer interfaces, transforming your desktop into a full-screen writing environment. Customize it as you prefer and get that report done faster!

Nest Partners with Utilities, Aims for Peak Energy Efficiency Across the US

2013-05-08T16:24:20Z

Click here to view this article in the May Edition of Energ Digital

Saving energy is a beautiful thing—a phrase taken quite literally by the creators behind the world's first “learning thermostat,” the Nest. Its sleek and sexy interface is enough to win over the hearts of the iPhone generation, but its technological genius is starting to win over the power market. Last month, Nest Labs revealed the new and improved Nest v3.5, while at the same time making its energy-saving features available across the nation with the help of a few strategic partnerships in the US utility market.

While most of us hardly notice thermostats, the tiny boxes adorning the walls of every home in America control a whopping ten percent of the country's energy consumption. Tony Fadell—one of the great minds behind many generations of the iPod and iPhone—didn't think they mattered either until he realized they also account for half of homeowners' energy bills. Inspired and disappointed by the lack of options available on the market, he decided to redesign the inefficient and boring looking “beige box from the 90s,” and create something that makes more sense for consumers in the 21st century.

Although Nests have been abuzz throughout Silicon Valley circles since the product first came to market in late 2011, it wasn't until now that a few strategic partnerships with power companies enabled its true accessibility across the country. NRG Energy subsidiaries like Reliant, Green Mountain Energy, Austin Energy and Southern California Edison will deploy Nest's next-generation thermostats around the US this year, offering instant online rebates to Nest customers. With minimal effort, the Nest will help most users save around 20 percent on energy bills each year, teaching them how to do even better over time.

Rush Hour Rewards, Seasonal Savings

Coinciding with moves to put Nests in thousands of new homes, Fadell and fellow former top Apple employee Matt Rogers have taken Nest functionality to the next level with tech-driven features to help reduce energy demand during peak periods, without customers losing control of their own comfort. Today, energy companies spend billions of dollars in unsuccessful efforts to incentivize people to reduce power demand during peak times like hot, summer days.

Nest's Seasonal Savings and Rush Hour Rewards features make use of the built-in Auto-Tune program, designed to automatically reduce power at key moments, while employing pre-cooling or personalized air conditioning cycling techniques to keep homes at comfortable temperatures. The system essentially learns about peoples' homes and behaviors to provide feedback and options that require minimal effort.

“By expanding our relationship with NRG, we can continue working together to turn the conversation away from cost alone toward a broader discussion about energy choices,” Fadell said in a statement. “Bundling the Nest Learning Thermostat with energy plans was a great first step. Now, the integration of Nest’s new Rush Hour Rewards and Seasonal Savings services promises to spark even more conversations about energy among NRG’s customers.”

That takes a huge load of the shoulders of local utilities, often forced to power up other plants or buy more power from third parties at higher rates as everyone cranks up the AC during summer.

"We understand when peak demand is coming," Fadell told CNET, "and work with your Nest, moving the energy load around so we don't have a peak energy problem."

Nest v3.5

Following last summer's record breaking hot months, the next-generation Nest (v3.5) is revealed at an ideal time, with a number of smarter features, including:

Sunblock: the ability to track sun patterns within a house, automatically adjusting to correct temperatures under direct sunlight. Connected to WiFi, the Nest will also take into account sunrise and sunset to avoid cooling too much in the summer or heating too little in the winter.
Advanced Fan Control: modes that allow users to control when and how long fans throughout the house should run for any given day.
Cool to Dry: AC that kicks in when humidity reaches excessive levels and becomes damaging to a home.
Improved Auto-Away to predict how long the house is vacant to help users save even more energy.
Apps, available on mobile and tablet devices, with improved messages/alerts and easy remote access to the Nest

"These services are new--radically new--and dramatically different than any previous efforts by energy providers and thermostat makers to get their customers to save energy," Fadell said in a post.

The new approach to a very traditional and vital industry is just the beginning of a larger conversation sweeping the nation. For now at least, here's to a better summer.

For a more in-depth discussion, watch this interview with Tony Fadell at LeWeb Paris 2012:

UPDATED: In another announcement this month, Nest Labs, Inc acquired MyEnergy, a service that allows people to track their electric, gas and water usage in one place online, with users in all 50 US states, cover over 1,500 utility territories.

“With less than 25 percent of the U.S. population connected to the smart grid, we’ve focused on developing technology that makes it easy for people to access the information they need to make decisions about their energy use,” said Ben Bixby, co-founder and CEO of MyEnergy. “We’re excited about the opportunity to join Nest to continue giving people useful, actionable information.”

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Pennsylvanians' 100 Days of Climate Reform Action

2013-05-07T18:31:45Z

By Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future (PennFuture)

When President Obama stated at his second inauguration that we have a moral obligation to fight climate change, Pennsylvanians saw it as a call to action. Over the past 100 days, a coalition of environmental groups including PennFuture, National Wildlife Federation, Clean Air Council, PennEnvironment, and Sierra Club have joined with Pennsylvania citizens to help fulfill that obligation by holding events across the state and generating more than 6,200 grassroots activities directed toward policymakers. These actions highlighted the need for the President and his administration to follow through on his promises to limit industrial carbon pollution that causes climate change and endangers the health of our communities.

"President Obama called climate action an 'obligation' and we spent the last 100 days showing the President we support his fulfillment of that obligation and look forward to his prioritizing American leadership on climate and clean energy during his second term," said Joy Bergey, federal policy director for PennFuture. "Right now, after the Obama Administration missed a recent court-ordered deadline, the EPA can finalize a Carbon Pollution Standard for power plants and then immediately turn its attention to curbing carbon pollution from existing power plants. These are the largest producer of dangerous carbon pollution, and a strong carbon pollution standard would be a major step forward in protecting public health, especially of our children and seniors."

In addition to the efforts in Pennsylvania, groups across the nation participated in many local actions over the last 100 days to highlight our climate action obligation that included:

1. 13,899 participants in climate change activities nationwide; and

17,226 grassroots activities nationwide, such as climate change awareness events, letter writing, and phone calls to policy makers.

Those who participated say we've waited long enough for our leaders to act to protect our health and build our economy using cleaner, safer energy technology.

"People of faith recognize that we have a moral calling to care for each other and for Creation. Every year, power plants dump more than two billion tons of dangerous industrial carbon pollution into our shared air, impairing our children's health and their futures. We can work to make our lives as energy-efficient as we can, but neither individuals nor congregations can change the way power is generated," said Cricket Eccleston Hunter, executive director of PA Interfaith Power & Light. "The EPA should complete the final version of the proposed and reviewed new source standards without further delay."

There are also benefits to the economy of moving forward. "Just as the Obama administration's clean car standards are helping rebuild the American auto industry, these power plant standards to protect human health will promote the innovation and investment needed to create jobs," said Christina Simeone, director of the PennFuture Energy Center.

PennFuture is a statewide public interest membership organization, founded in 1998, with staff in Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Wilkes-Barre. PennFuture's activities include litigating cases before regulatory bodies and in local, state, and federal courts; advocating and advancing legislative action on a state and federal level; public education; and assisting citizens in public advocacy.

The Philadelphia Inquirer called PennFuture the "state's leading environmental advocacy organization;" the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette named the organization "one of the 10 most influential groups on the issue of natural gas drilling;" and StateImpact Pennsylvania, an online collaboration of NPR stations across the state, called PennFuture "the commonwealth's main environmental advocate."

SOURCE Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future (PennFuture)

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Scientists Launch Crowdfunding for Coral Repairing Robots

2013-05-07T16:44:00Z

The ocean covers over 70% of the planet, but is threatened by multiple stressors such as bottom fishing, pollution and climate change. Coral reefs support the livelihoods of almost half a billion people; marine litter affects around half of all marine mammals and kills almost a million seabirds per year. These threats require active and urgent intervention to ensure global sustainability of human livelihoods and biodiversity. Currently, habitat remediation or restoration can only be achieved in small patches. In deep sea ecosystems, these tasks are also too dangerous for direct human intervention.

The Coralbots team is comprised of scientists and engineers committed to addressing these threats using innovations in computing, marine biology, and undersea robotics to revolutionize how such threats are addressed, combining autonomous underwater robotics with 'swarm intelligence.' Nature shows how groups or swarms of organisms (e.g. bees and termites) operate collectively to achieve complex objectives. The Coralbots team plan to deploy teams of autonomous underwater robots to restore and rebuild damaged coral reefs.

The first future mission will restore reefs damaged by hurricanes and ship groundings in Belize. Running until May 26th 2013, the team have a project on Kickstarter to help accelerate this mission. Individuals, schools and corporations are invited to work with them, by contributing directly to the Kickstarter campaign, and taking up the opportunity to be directly involved. Involvement will be centred on helping the team accelerate development around the many 'artificial intelligence' tasks in the project, ranging from recognition of coral in images, to robot stability in strong currents, while the team will provide educational packages and interaction with schools. This project represents a glimpse of the future, where robotic intelligence works alongside human activity to repair, restore and protect the future of the global environment.

SOURCE Coralbots

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Army scientists scout energy solutions for the battlefield

2013-05-06T17:13:01Z

Image: Sarah S. Bedair, Ph.D., an electronics engineer with U.S. Army Research Laboratory, is adjusting the settings on ink-jet printer used to deposit nanomaterials onto the surfaces of micro-devices.

By Joyce P. Brayboy, U.S. Army Research Laboratory

What if scientists and engineers could scavenge energy for warfighters, like bottom feeders scavenge in the ocean? 

 The U.S. Army Research Laboratory, or ARL, along with the Army science and technology community, is pursuing novel technology aspects of the Army's Operational Energy Strategy. 

 Energy Scavenging is just one way ARL experts are getting more from existing resources, said Dr. Edward Shaffer, who is the Energy and Power Division Chief at the lab. Energy harvesting is critical to realize "net zero" energy use, a key element of the Army's Operational Energy Strategy. 

There are a number of technology areas enabling operational energy, such as energy storage, alternative energy sources, high-density power converters and micro grids that the lab is pursuing. 

Department of Defense operational energy is an emerging area being shaped. It is what is required to train, move, and sustain forces, weapons, and equipment for military operations. It accounted for 75 percent of all energy used by DOD in 2009, according to the Energy website for DOD.  

It was in May 2011, when the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy, Plans and Programs defined an operational energy strategy, and then published Operational Energy for the warfighter, a guide that would transform the way the DOD consumes energy in military operations.  

"We want to develop technologies to enable future energy networks for the warfighter," Shaffer said. "The challenge is to develop something that could be valuable to Soldiers 15 to 20 years from now -- based on what we know today."  

A past history of success in areas like electrochemistry is "informing the way forward for other technologies," he said.  

"In the recent past, ARL electrochemists discovered a way to increase the duration of high-energy batteries with an electrolyte additive. Now, other teams are thinking about high-efficiency, miniature power supplies that could give small, unmanned systems bursts of power "on-demand," Shaffer said.  

"Technology is ever changing," he said.  

The basic research at the laboratory now will help the Army to be better in the next conflict, said John Carroll, action officer for the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command Power and Energy Technology Focus Team. "The fuel challenge won't go away. We have to fix it."  

Shaffer originated the concept of Smart Battlefield Energy on-Demand, or SmartBED.   

"SmartBED is one way we think Soldiers would be able to link up to the power they need. It will ultimately bring complex pieces together -- generator, solar systems and energy storage -- in a flexible, resilient way into an energy network," said Carroll, who retired from the Navy as a nuclear propulsion engineer before coming to ARL.  

"The essence of SmartBED is being able to get energy seamlessly when and where it is needed, but yet not wasting it," Shaffer said. "Currently, we waste energy and it limits availability because often a single power source is tied directly to a single load."  

We want Soldiers to plug into the energy they need to keep their sources, batteries and devices topped off, yet drawing energy only as needed," Shaffer said. "SmartBED is designed to improve energy capacity for Soldiers while they are at base camp or otherwise on the move."  

Shaffer has a wide view of the energy needs across Army, DOD and interagency forums that explore complimentary ways of addressing energy and power technology gaps and reduce duplicated efforts, including the DOD Energy and Power Community of Interest and the Interagency Advanced Power Group that includes agencies like the Department of Energy and NASA.  

Read more in Energy Digital: The Military Issue

These communities are comprised of scientists, engineers, subject matter experts, technologists and program managers with a common interest in promoting innovative energy and power solutions for the nation.  "One of the good things is to be able to see the flow of technology and communicate at each level," Carroll said. "We come together as a science and technology community and see what investments are necessary to better get Program Executive Offices and Program Managers the operational energy tools they need when they need it."  

The Army acknowledges energy and power challenges to its operational energy concept and strategy, beyond technological improvement -- there are cultural, policy and procedural concerns that leaders are addressing.  There are ongoing research initiatives within the Army to explore alternatives and technology improvements in order to offset long-standing issues, like delivering large amounts of JP8 to the front lines, Carroll said.  The good news is that within and beyond the Army there are partners that are finding solutions and pushing technologies ahead together more smartly, he said.  

At ARL, the future is a seamless energy architecture that begins with concepts like SmartBED, Long-lived Power and Fuel-Reforming for better energy convergence. 

ARL will share a series of four stories that focus on far-reaching concepts of the Army operational energy strategy. The next article in the series will focus on Smart BED. Scientists and engineers at ARL forecast solutions that empower and protect Soldiers into the future with a portfolio of basic and applied science.

SOURCE: US Army

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Calling Industry Experts: Tell us Your Story!

2013-05-02T21:31:27Z

Here at Energy Digital, we're always looking for the best quality content from the most knowledgeable people in the industry - you!

Since topics in the energy world can be extremely vast and diverse, we want to be able to extend the opportunity to those within the industry to have their voices heard. As part of a new focus within the magazine, we are looking for contributions from our readers.

From topics in renewable energy, oil & gas, mining and the latest developments in green technology, we want to hear about your story, and how you could help others in the industry.

We are looking for timely, interesting content for both the website and the magazine, whether you write blogs, news or features. Stories can range from 250 words to 1,100 words, and we will look into all topics, whether it is an innovative new product, news story or a great green idea, we want to hear about it.

We can help you to write articles based on your own experience, whether or not you are a professional writer, so if you have an article idea, don't hesitate to contact us! Our magazine topics range from developments within the renewable energy and green tech sectors to the latest issues affecting big oil and mining projects around the world.

If you are interested in contributing, don't hesitate to contact Energy Digital's Editor Carin Hall with your ideas at Carin.Hall@wdmgroup.com

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The Face and Heart of Climate Change

2013-04-24T16:57:13Z

Despite increasing awareness of environmentalism, the problems worsen. The solution may lie in better understanding of human emotion – the subject of a conference at Harvard University in June. The NexusEQ Conference brings together world leading scientists and practitioners to use emotion to spark positive change.

This year's Earth Day theme is, "The Face of Climate Change." Perhaps, then, it's a day to look in the mirror: Despite a generation of growing environmental awareness, we're not making sufficient change.

Solutions Require Emotional Intelligence

Scientists and practitioners meeting at Harvard in June will share examples of utilizing emotions to create positive change. The conference is part of a worldwide movement to promote "emotional intelligence," a set of skills for using emotions effectively. Speakers include neuroscientists, leaders, educators, and even a 13-year-old environmentalist.

Emma Freedman, a middle-school student from California, speaks around the world about the plight of the rainforest. She explains, "I've seen first hand that we can't wait for adults to fix the environment. The planet needs us, so it's time for kids to become Jungle Heroes."

At the conference, Freedman will share her work engaging young people, and using some of the concepts of emotional intelligence. "We need to feel the connection to the environment," Miss Freedman says, "and kids need to know that you are never too young to make a difference."

"Natural" Emotions Block Change

To create environmental change, we need human change. That starts by understanding emotion.

Emotions drive change, but the brain doesn't treat long-term, pervasive problems as threats.
Rhetoric about imminent destruction can trigger fear and stress, but people resist when they feel pushed because fear and powerlessness motivate short-term self-protection.
Feelings of compassion and appreciation reduce stress and are effective motivators of protective behavior.

Fortunately, we've learned that it's possible to become more skilled with emotion. By developing the learnable skills of emotional intelligence, people become better at making complex choices – and engaging others to do the same.

SOURCE Six Seconds Organization

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Nest Announces Partnership with Utilities to Save Consumers Money

2013-04-22T23:17:32Z

Nest Labs, creators of the Nest Learning Thermostat for the iPod generation, announced new partnerships with energy companies across the US, putting energy saving tools in the hands of thousands of new customers.

NRG Energy subsidiaries like Reliant, Green Mountain Energy, Austin Energy and Southern California Edison will deploy Nest's next-generation thermostats, offering instant rebates to make the pricey devices more accessible to the masses. It will also feature rewards systems to encourage those customers to continue to save more and more money over time, such as Rush Hour Rewards and Seasonal Saving programs. Not only will the refinements in the next-generation thermostats help most customers save 20 percent on energy bills each year, but help take a considerable strain off overloaded energy infrastructure.

Last year, NRG’s largest retail company, Reliant, became the first competitive electricity provider in the U.S. to offer the Nest Learning ThermostatTM as part of a fixed-price electricity plan to help customers better understand and conserve energy. This summer, both Reliant and NRG’s renewable energy provider, Green Mountain Energy, among others, will provide the Nest Learning Thermostat as part of their local electricity plans.

“The success of our relationship with Nest and the enthusiasm of our Texas customers for their learning thermostat speaks to the elegant simplicity of Nest, and Americans’ desire to be individually empowered with smarter energy choices,” NRG Energy's CEO David Crane said in a statement. “It is NRG’s goal to deliver innovative energy options like the Nest, and we see this technology as an important step toward remembering how energy is produced and consumed in the American home.”

“Strategic partnerships like this not only bring much needed innovation to our very traditional sector of the economy, but are also a prime example of how we are shifting the focus from what utilities and their regulators want to what our customers need and want,” Crane added.

The Nest is an easy to use device with built-in motion-tracking sensors that detect the presence of people to adjust temperatures accordingly and is smart enough to learn and mimic schedules. It's the only thermostat that essentially programs itself, learning from its users' habits.

Developed by Tony Fadell, aka the “godfather” of the iPod, the Nest was designed to replace the outdated, ugly thermostats with something that makes more sense for consumers in the 21st century.

“It was unacceptable to me that the device that controls 10 percent of all energy consumed in the U.S. hadn’t kept up with advancements in technology and design,” Fadell said in a statement. “We hope it will not only save money and energy, but that it will teach and inspire people to think more about how they can reduce home- energy consumption.”

“By expanding our relationship with NRG, we can continue working together to turn the conversation away from cost alone toward a broader discussion about energy choices,” Fadell said Monday. “Bundling the Nest Learning Thermostat with energy plans was a great first step. Now, the integration of Nest’s new Rush Hour Rewards and Seasonal Savings services promises to spark even more conversations about energy among NRG’s customers.”

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EV Owners Looking Forward to an Electrically Charged New York

2013-04-22T16:49:56Z

Written by Kate Simms

The plan for electric-vehicle integration in New York City is kind of a big deal. A 2010 report by PlanNYC, the city's comprehensive substitutability plan, explains the strategy to produce 30 percent less greenhouse gases by 2030 (compared to 2005 levels), and more than 44 percent of that reduction will be transportation emissions. The 2010 initiative hopes to reduce the amount of automobiles in the city while increasing public transportation, bicycling and walking.

This year, during his State of the City address, Mayor Bloomberg announced a plan to pilot EV charging stations throughout the city. He said his office will coordinate with City Council ensuring that 20 percent of any new public parking spots will be EV friendly.

There are currently 220 charging stations, 120 of which are for the city's own fleet. And there are an expected 400 more stations to be put in by April, according to Green Car Reports.

EV Adoption

Over the past three months, NYC has seen a 76 percent increase in electric vehicle adoption, according to Green Car Reports. In turn, the city has made additional commitments to EV integration. According to nyc.gov, EVs make up some of the city's police, fire, sanitation and transportation vehicles. The city is slated to buy 50 Chevrolet Volts, 10 Ford Transit Connects and is testing some Navistar trucks.

In addition, the five boroughs of New York have registered about 2,000 electric vehicles. Because New York City drivers don't have home parking, they rely on commercial garages and street parking. With 10,000 new spaces dedicated to car charging, consumers in the market for a car might just be more open to an electric variety. Maybe it's a good time to sell your gas-guzzling money-sucking vehicle, find a mover at uShip and start living a more environmentally conscious lifestyle.

Good Fit for You?

So what's an ideal electric vehicle to "fit" the New York City lifestyle? The Honda Fit's initial reviews are positive. Much like the gas version, the Honda Fit has a lower center of gravity, so it's agile and fun to drive. The interior offers space for five passengers. To create a larger cargo area, the seats can fold for an airier cabin. With bio-fabric seats, climate control and a stellar navigation system, you might not know you were saving the earth when zipping through the streets of Greenwich Village. The engine produces 106 lb-ft of torque at 6600 rpm.

Other options include the Nissan LEAF, Ford Focus Electric, Toyota RAV 4 EV and the Smart ED, to name a few.

Northeast Regional Partnership

To add to the excitement, it doesn't stop in New York. The city is partnering with Philadelphia and Boston to share knowledge and exchange information on electricity usage and building codes needed to accommodate EVs. Traveling between the three cities in an electric vehicle will be done with confidence, considering they'll have readily available charging stations. The three cities make up the Northeast Regional Partnership.

Proposals are in place, but not confirmed. It seems NYC is going to see considerable growth of plug-in vehicles over the next decade. What a cleaner city it will be.

Kate Simms is an activist, grant writer and supporter or several green initiatives. She lives and writes in Maryland.

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CA Seek Business Opportunities in Quebec Carbon Market

2013-04-19T14:26:37Z

A vote of confidence yesterday from California business leaders as California's carbon trading program prepares to expand.

"Smart business owners know that one of the best ways to expand opportunities and bring down costs is to align with a smart and capable partner. That is exactly what California is doing by linking its trading program with Quebec's program," said Susan Frank , Director of the California Business Alliance for a Green Economy. "A larger market both creates greater economic opportunities for California's products and services, and it gives companies under the cap more options for selling, buying or trading allowances."

On Friday, the California Air Resources Board is scheduled to consider updated regulatory language to formalize linking the state's carbon market with Quebec's starting in January of 2014, with the first official joint auction in February of 2014. The two are expected to host a practice auction later this fall.

"The Governor's Office has reviewed Quebec's program and found it to be secure and stringent, like California's," said John Wunderlin , North America lead for Climate Markets and Investment Association (CMIA). "A bigger market should lead to a stronger price signal, improved certainty for businesses making low-carbon investments, and a greater likelihood that other jurisdictions will soon follow suit." Wunderlin facilitates CMIA's North American Policy working group.

Earlier this month, Gov. Jerry Brown approved the plan to link with Quebec after carefully comparing to two systems. The Air Resources Board plans to thoroughly test and evaluate the linking infrastructure prior to January 2014, allowing market participants ample time to raise concerns about potential disruptions.

"Expanding the market will improve liquidity and enhance innovation, helping to drive compliance costs down. In addition, the reductions in greenhouse gas emissions achieved by combining the two programs would also be larger than anything we can achieve through a California-only system," said Mike Mielke , VP for Environmental Programs & Policy, for the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. "While critics try to make it sound risky and mysterious, it's nothing more than expanding commodity sales into new regions."

The linkage of California's carbon market with Quebec's program will mark the second multi-jurisdictional carbon trading system in North America, and the first economy-wide carbon market in North America – covering all large sources of greenhouse gas emissions, including electricity, manufacturing, transportation fuels, and oil refining. Currently, six New England states, New York, Maryland and Delaware operate the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a carbon market that covers the electricity sector only.

SOURCE California Business Alliance for a Green Economy

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US Dominating Cellulosic Ethanol Market

2013-04-15T18:11:21Z

Ethanol is the most widely acclaimed alternative or additive for gasoline used for running vehicles, and the US ranked as number one producer of this biofuel using natural waste feedstock, states new analysis by research and consulting firm GlobalData.

According to the latest report, the US is the global leader in cellulosic ethanol production, manufacturing 5.42m gallons in 2012.

Bio-ethanol is produced through the fermentation of cellulosic feedstock such as forest and agricultural waste. The US boasts an abundance of this biomass feedstock, and dedicated energy crops such as Switchgrass and Miscanthus are grown exclusively for conversion into cellulosic ethanol to help the nation’s ambition to meet fuel needs while reducing Green House Gas (GHG) emissions.

The US is the only country currently working to promote the cellulosic ethanol market, with the US Department of Energy (US DOE) providing grants to help companies establish a commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant. As a result, several companies have set up pilot and demonstration plants and a few commercial plants are expected to be commissioned in late 2013.

The US has also mandated the addition of 10% ethanol in gasoline fuel, setting steady domestic demand for the industry, while certain recently released cars are able to run on a 85% ethanol, 15% gasoline mix.

Corn stover and wheat straw are among the most freely available types of feedstock used in countries producing cellulosic ethanol, and growing ethanol demand may see these nations utilizing the residue of their corn crop for ethanol production, creating a sizable market for agricultural waste. GlobalData expects that the growing feedstock demand will create a structured market, in which biomass feedstock prices will be set based on their ethanol yield and the prevailing trading price of ethanol.

Some EU countries such as France and Italy have cellulosic ethanol production infrastructure, but a limited supply of biomass feedstock. Growth of commercial production in these countries may fuel the need to import feedstock from nearby countries or expand production to other countries with ample feedstock availability. A few producers with upcoming commercial scale plants in the US have already started signing agreements to procure agricultural residue and other kinds of cellulosic feedstock.

Global cellulosic ethanol is expected to increase from 14.25m gallons in 2012 to 412.25m gallons in 2020, with commercial production anticipated to take off on a large scale in late 2013 and 2014, thanks to major players adding substantial production capacity and new companies joining the market. The US is expected to retain its market dominance until 2020.

SOURCE: GlobalData

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Road Power Technology Offers New Fuel Option to Drivers

2013-04-10T13:45:12Z

Click here to view this article in April's issue of Energy Digital

On the long road to global decarbonization in the transportation sector, there is no single universal solution. Progress in the electric vehicle market is slow and the use of public transportation can only reduce so many fuel-emitting vehicles on the road when rising populations continue to swell traffic overall more with each year. Realistically speaking, the planet needs intermediate solutions to bridge the long gap of time from where we are now until arriving in the highly sought after carbon-neutral future. For renewable energy, natural gas will play that role. For gas guzzling cars, perhaps, road powered vehicles will do the same.

In the UK, two veteran clean tech entrepreneurs, Andrew Howe and Andrew Dames, are developing Road Powered Electric Vehicle (RPEV) technology that could easily be fitted to major trunk roads/highways, using the same technique already established for traffic light presence detection. Under the company Ampium, Howe and Dames have combined their vast knowledge of induction systems to introduce on-board pick-up coils used to transfer grid electricity directly to any car, be it electric, hybrid or gasoline powered. The coil is a cost-effective, easy-to-install solution to heavy and expensive on-board energy storage batteries.

“The idea is that we can decarbonize the vehicle and solve the energy storage problem by removing the requirement of a battery on the vehicle,” says Howe. “We also wanted to ensure low cost infrastructures, so we adopted an existing standard used widely in the UK, Europe and US that involves putting wires into the road.”

Essentially, the road itself simply becomes another fuel option for the driver in the areas equipped with Road Power technology. The device could be added to any vehicle, truck or bus for a price as low as $1,500, according to rough estimates from consulting firms.

“We see the lightweight pickup coil as a hybrid solution—much cheaper than bulk energy storage that allows existing engines to continue running on their main source of fuel,” says Howe. “There's a significant margin available between the price of energy at your wheels coming from diesel versus the cost of grid electricity.”

Hitting Emissions Reduction Targets

The tail-pipe emissions-zapping device could play a large role in cutting the 428 million tons of carbon dioxide emitted annually in the country from vehicle transportation alone. Although the technology will only be immediately available throughout the UK, it will become available on main roads in high-trafficked areas, where the most damage is done.

“Because we're installing infrastructure, we're looking at places with short lengths frequently used by the repetitive drivers,” says Howe, adding that Ampium is now in talks with large bus manufacturers for trials.

In its infancy, Ampium expects public demonstrations of the technology to be available in the next one to two years, which is expected to include an initial bus route deployment. Last year, the company successfully demonstrated a power transfer of 20kW from the road into a Toyota Prius fitted with technology, enabling the vehicle to continuously receive the charge necessary to drive at speeds reaching the UK legal limit.

The long term success of RPEVs, however, will ultimately depend on collaboration between automotive manufacturers, road infrastructure providers, the electricity supply industry and technology providers.

“We’ve seen a great degree of interest from governments and automotive companies in our pioneering alternative fuel solution following the success of our tests so far,” Howe said in a statement. “Europe announced in July €10m of research funding for road power transfer and I believe that we will see public road demonstrations inside five years, probably first on buses but also HGVs which travel 65 percent of their miles on the approximately 6,000 miles of the UK’s trunk road network.

“In that time, how much higher will the price of a barrel of oil be?” Howe asks. “Considering the uptake of road transport around the world and our ability to meet growing demand for fuel will continue to drive this kind of technology now.”

Solar Roadways Light the Way for the Future of Infrastructure

2013-04-09T12:13:52Z

Click here to view this article in April's issue of Energy Digital

Here's a glimpse into the future: high maintenance, expensive concrete roads and parking lots turned into glossy solar surfaces, fueling enough energy from the sun to power nearby communities and the electric vehicles above them.

According to inventors/creators of Solar Roadways, Scott and Julie Brusaw, sections of the road could be made out of solar cells to collect energy, which would more than pay for the cost of the panels. And what if LEDs were added beneath road lines for safer night time driving, and heating elements were added to prevent snow/ice accumulation in northern climates? Those are questions the Solar Roadways project sought to answer under a 2009 Federal Highway Administration contract to build the first ever prototype.

"We're building solar panels that you can drive on," Brusaw told the Scientific American. "The fact that it's generating power means it pays for itself over time, as opposed to asphalt."

Thus far, the results have proved favorable and the company was awarded a follow-up 2-year Phase II $750,000 SBIR contract in 2011 to build a prototype parking lot in Idaho—an effort expected to be showcased this Spring.

"The Federal Highway Administration told us they're not going to let us go out on the highway to start this,” Brusaw told CNN. "They told us to go into the parking lot first, prove your technology, perfect it and learn your lessons there -- which makes sense."

Is it safe?

Actually, solar roads may even be safer than concrete. The hardness of glass on the solar panels falls somewhere in between the strength of steel and stainless steel, and does not accumulate a slick sheen of oil on its surface like cement. In addition to its strength, the glass will also be textured in a way that encourages tires to grip the surface and water to run off. It's also easier and faster to replace.

Each road panel is made of three basic layers. The road surface layer is translucent and rough enough to provide great traction, capable of handling today's heaviest loads under the absolute worst conditions. An electronics layer would control the heating element, lighting, communications and monitoring to create an intelligent highway system. The base plate layer would take the sun collected from the electronics layer and distribute it to homes and businesses connected to the roadway.

One of the great challenges of the Brusaws' big idea will be creating a type of glass that is also self-cleaning in order to cope with the grit and grime of heavy use over time. Surely, developing a revolutionary product like that will come at a price as well.

"The cost to develop a glass that will hold up in the fast lane of a highway? Fifteen [million] to 25 million dollars over three to five years," Brusaw added. "The cost in mass production? About $1 per square foot."

Furthermore, the solar roadway system would require sophisticated energy-storage capability. But the yet-to-be-invented glass does not intimidate the couple, who are determined to create a cross-country highway system that can double as an electricity generator and power grid—a model they believe could very well eliminate the need for fossil fuels in energy generation across the country.

"Based on my calculations, at 15 percent efficiency [from the photovoltaics] we produce more than three times the electricity we have ever produced," Brusaw told the Scientific American, adding "we think we can make enough to meet the nation's energy needs.”

Even when the roads are smothered in traffic, Brusaw estimates that solar collection would be at 50 percent.

A remarkable idea come to life, the Solar Roadway could very well become one of the greatest infrastructure innovations of the 21st century. It's time to upgrade.

Images sourced via Solar Roadways

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Businessfriend Bridges the Gap Between "Social" and "Productivity"

2013-04-08T17:32:36Z

Click here to view this article in April's issue of Energy Digital

In today's digital world, the importance of an online presence is an increasingly critical aspect of business strategy, regardless of industry. Brands must be well connected and active in all the right networks, whether it involves attracting potential employees through LinkedIn, monitoring consumer perceptions via Facebook and Twitter, managing communications to different target groups via Google+ or all of the above. And while all of these major social networks serve an individual and important purpose, there's still something missing—a social utility designed to help businesses be more productive.

Introducing Businessfriend, a recently launched social media platform designed by business professionals for business professionals. Members on Businessfriend can create in-depth personal profiles and corporate pages, share and post updates (with the option to post to other social media platforms) and chat or video chat with others currently on Businessfriend—particularly effective in connecting staff and building on the culture within an organization. What's more, Businessfriend actually encourages more efficient workflow through the use of tabs including mail, a document manager for sharing files, a calendar to monitor work-related meetings and tasks, a notes section and contacts tab (DigiDex).

Unlike other social networks, “groups” serve as a useful tool connecting and informing employees on specific topics, while more detailed corporate pages featuring appealing layouts draw in the attention of professional relationships, partners or other interested parties. Contacts stored in the DigiDex can be filtered down to “inner circle” friends (personal friends, coworkers, etc.) and other Businessfriends, allowing users to be selective when posting updates and links to targeted groups.

If used as intended, Businessfriend can significantly increase productivity within almost any organization. Most social networks require daily tracking and significant effort to maintain, whereas Businessfriend can be used for most, if not all, of the user's daily communications within his/her company and outside networking—all while allowing the same “social” functions as other outlets and the ability to interconnect posts to them. It's taking corporate email accounts to the next level and bridging the gap between work performance and active engagement.

That comes as good news to the energy industry, comprised of the most technologically innovative companies in the world, who are failing to fully embrace the power of social networking. An estimated ten percent of energy companies maintain a blog, while only 50 percent have Facebook profiles and 60 percent have “limited profiles” on Twitter, according to DEER digital's findings presented in a 2012 Briefing. Clearly, there's a disconnect. The industry calls for a new platform that it can work out of, that streamlines communications, saving busy companies invaluable time.

Glen White, CEO and Founder of the network, and his team refer to the new concept as “BUSI,” short for Business Utility first with a Social Identity.

“It gives a positive spin on the relatively discouraging word 'busy,” White says. “BUSI is now the epitome of balance, specifically work-life. Meanwhile, culture—one of the most important aspects of any business' success—is fueled by the people and personalities behind the brand who are given more of a presence through this tool.”

Many of today's corporate environments make it difficult to connect or truly build a culture in the same way. Businessfriend not only helps professionals complete tasks and organize contacts (putting a face and profile to each name), but also encourages a sense of community and better communication throughout the organization.

Over the next year, Businessfriend is projected to attract tens, if not hundreds of thousands, of users. But the numbers aren't what's important, White explains.

“It's about productivity—helping professionals connect, organize and work more effectively amongst each other and in their respective industries,” says White. “We believe it will be a truly revolutionary tool for businesses across the US and, eventually, around the globe.”

See for yourself at Businessfriend.com

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